It Ends Tonight
by bjames238
Summary: Some You Give Away with an alternate ending. Everything up to 4.9 is the same. Couples to be announced.
1. Prologue: It Ends Tonight

**It Ends Tonight**

_OTH_ S4.9 "Some You Give Away" A.U.

**Prologue: It Ends Tonight**

_This is it_, he thought, _the last two years, the struggles, everything_ _we've been through. It's over . . ._ _ It ends tonight . . ._

"Mr. Scott?"

Nathan looked up, his eyes meeting with a pair of browns ones. He blinked, moving his head back. His view widened and the browns appeared to belong to a short, dark brunette woman with short-cropped hair. Her bright white nurses scrubs with Winnie the Pooh characters on them contrasted with her dark hair. Her face was soft and caring as she leaned over in front of Nathan.

"Mr. Scott, would you like to sit down in the family lounge?" The nurse asked him.

Nathan breathed heavily, his eyes downcast and brooding. He shook his head, "My wife . . . how is she? And the baby?"

"Your wife is still in recovery," the nurse replied softly, "Your wife's doctor is very good at what she does. She's the best OBGYN surgeon in the state."

The nurse held out her hand and helped him stand. He sighed. The nurse led him down the hall to a room which had the words 'Family Lounge' printed on the wall next to it.

"Someone will come to you every once and a while to keep you informed. When the surgery is finished, the doctor will come talk to you."

"Okay," Nathan nodded, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," the nurse smiled compassionately, "I hope things turn out well for you." Nathan nodded again and the nurse left.

_Yep; It ends tonight._

~*~

Peyton Sawyer sat contently on her bed. A smile graced her features from ear to ear. _After all these years–well two, _she though to herself, _"We're finally, officially, legitimately together. All of the drama and waiting and wishing and hoping ends tonight._ She'd never been so happy about an ending before in her life. This day was a day she would never forget: For this day marked the day that Lucas Scott and Peyton Sawyer started the rest of their lives together. She was sure of it.

The sounds of heavy and hurried footsteps shook her from her reverie and she turned her head. The moment she saw the expression of pure fear and concern on the face of Brooke Davis, Peyton's smiled vanished.

She just knew something was wrong.

"Lucas and Haley are in the hospital." Brooke choked through unwanted tears. Peyton's heart skipped a beat and jumped up to her though at the same time Brooke's mouth opened. Her jaw dropped and tears stung her eyes, "It's bad, Peyton. It's really bad." Peyton hadn't really needed to hear those words. "Come on, I'll drive." Peyton and Brooke flew down the stairs and out the door to Brooke's light blue VW Bug.

Peyton was devoid of any reaction as the two rode to the hospital. Brooke, however, was not so quiet.

"They'll be okay," Brooke stated for the thirteenth time since they'd gotten in the car, "Lucas and Haley will be fine. They have to, right?"

Peyton didn't say a word. She really didn't have to because her brain was doing all the talking for her.

"Oh god, the baby . . ." Brooke gasped, "I just remembered . . ." Peyton, too, had forgotten that Haley was pregnant. Truthfully, all she could think about was Lucas.

"Nathan and Karen must be a wreck . . ." Brooke continued on, "And with Karen being pregnant too . . . I hope she's okay too with all the stress she must be feeling."

Brooke pulled into the hospital parking lot. Peyton's heart began to accelerate. _Lucas is in there_ exploded into her brain, _He's in there and he might not be okay . . ._

The two of them got out of the car and hurried inside.

_It ends tonight . . ._

~*~

"Nathan?"

He sat a chair in the 'Family Lounge.' His back hunched over as if he were praying, eyes closed, and his head nearly touching the tops of his knees.

Upon hearing the voice, he looked up. "Nathan?" It was Karen, his half-brother Lucas's mom. Her eyes were red and puffy like she'd been crying. She sat down on the armchair next his, sighing. Both of them were in fairly the same boat. Nathan's wife was in surgery and Karen's son was in surgery.

Neither of them needed to say anything. Both knew how the other felt and what they were going through.

Nathan looked up and rose as a doctor came over to him. The doctor was older, with a greying head of a nearly balded head. He was about the same height as Nathan though, his shoulders hunched slightly. Nathan held his breath in anticipation of what the doctor said.

"Your wife is out of surgery, Mr. Scott," the doctor said. Nathan let out the breath. "She's in recovery and is resting comfortably. She has a broken leg, some fractured ribs, and numerous internal injuries."

"And the baby?" Nathan asked.

"At this point, Mr. Scott, my concern is for your wife," the doctor put his hand on Nathan's shoulder before walking away to leave.

Nathan sighed, shaking his head. He resumed his seat next Karen, sighing again.

"They'll be okay," Karen spoke out loud, "They have to."

"Nathan!"

Nathan looked up, seeing Peyton and Brooke comign toward them. "Oh my god . . ." Brooke put her hand over her mouth. "Are they okay?"

"Haley's out of surgery . . . that's all I know so far," Nathan said.

"And Lucas?" Peyton's voice caught in her throat. Karen and Nathan shook their heads.

"We haven't really heard anything yet," Karen said quietly. A soft whine escaped the blonde's lips. Brooke held her friend's arm.

~*~

Two days later . . . Nathan sat at Haley's bedside, holding her hand. She still hadn't woken up yet. There was hope the day before but it turned out to be nothing.

The baby was fine, virtually untouched by the damage his mother sustained. The doctors said it was a miracle – but Nathan was just his son was okay and wished his wife was in better condition.

Like his brother.

Lucas was awake and breathing on his own and everything was fine. Just a warning from the doctor to take it easy and not even four hours later he's back at school under Peyton's watchful eye.

If only Haley had been that lucky.

"Hey buddy," Nathan felt a light touch on his shoulder. He turned to find Brooke standing behind him, her hand on his arm. "How you holdin' up?"

He took a deep breath, still holding on to Haley's hand. "Honestly . . . I feel like I'm going to throw up. I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this. Everytime we're just getting happy again . . . something gotta come and and ruin all the progress we've made." Brooke walked around him and sat in the chair beside him. "I mean the doctors ar saying she could be like this for months! They migh have to take the baby out early." His voice caught in the back of his throat. "He could die, Brooke. They both could-and even if he makes it I might have to raise this boy all by myself and . . . and I don't think I can do that Brooke. I need her. I need Haley to wake up!"

Brooke rested her hand on his knee, "You're not alone, Nathan. You've got me and Lucas and Peyton. We'll help you okay? We'll sit at Haley's bedside for the rest of our lives if we have to. And if the baby comes and she's still not awake . . . we'll help you with that, too. Okay?" Nathan nodded, staring at Haley's peaceful eyes. "Don't you ever let me hear you say that you're alone, you got me?" Nathan bobbed his head again as shameful as a child in trouble. "Everything will be just fine . . ."

_To Be Continued . . ._

_A.N. The next chapter's started already so hopefully it won't take too long._


	2. Chapter 1

**It Ends Tonight**

_OTH_ S4.9 "Some You Give Away" A.U.

Author's note: I guess you could call this a filler chapter...the next two chapters will be like that too...then chapter 3 will be where the real drama will happen.

**Chapter One:**

3 ½ years later.

Nathan Scott picked up a box that was next to his dresser. He'd bought the house about two years back but there were still so many things that needed to be unpacked. Today was his day off so he decided he wanted to get at least a good-sized chunk of the boxes unpacked.

He set the box on the bed and started to go through it. It was a bunch of his old trophies and things from the grade school junior leagues for were pictures of him and his parents, grandparents, uncles . . . pictures from school games and his friends and other things.

Pictures of Haley.

He shook his head from his thoughts and started replacing the things back into the box. He didn't want to do this today. Not today.

"Nate, we're back!"

Nathan put the last of the pictures in the box and headed downstairs to meet them. "Coming!" He yelled.

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" The small child bounced into his father's arms.

"There's my boy," Nathan hugged his son. "Did you have fun with Aunt Brooke today, Jamie?"

"Yeah, Aunt Brooke is the best!" Jamie said. Nathan and Brooke chuckled as the almost-three-year-old ran off, probably to his room to relay the day's events to his pet bunny Chester.

The two adults turned to each other and Brooke followed Nathan into the kitchen. "Thanks again, for watching him this morning. I love the boy to death but it's not so easy to concentrate to unpack boxes when the words "can we go to the park now" are shouted every five minutes."

"It's no problem, Nathan," Brooke sat down on a stool at the island. Nathan opened the fridge and grabbed two bottles of water before putting one in front of Brooke and standing next to her. "You know I don't mind watching him."

"I know," Nathan sighed, "But . . . sometimes it feels like I'm letting Haley down."

Brooke pushed her bottle aside and held on to his hand. "Nathan . . . you are doing the best you can with what you have and Haley would be _so_ proud of you. Jamie's lucky to have you."

Nathan shook his head. "Half the time I don't know what I'm doing and I wonder what Haley would do differently." He took a deep breath. "Would Haley punish him for not picking up his room when he's told to? Should I send him to public or private school? She he be able to have a snack after dinner if he doesn't eat all his vegetables?" He looked up at Brooke. "I don't know how much longer I can do this. I--" Another deep breath. "I just need her back."

"I know," Brooke took his hand in both of hers now.

"I went to go see her yesterday. Same time, like I always do, and . . . something was different."

"What do you mean?"

"The doctors and nurses . . . they were different." Nathan said, "When I asked them about bringing Jamie in to see his mom the room suddenly got very weird and awkward." Brooke listened to what he said. "They're losing it, Brooke. They don't think she'll wake up anymore."

"She has to!" Brooke stood up.

Nathan looked down at the island counter, "They're starting to throw out the D word." He looked up.

Brooke just stared at him. "D word? You mean dea—"

"DNR," Nathan sighed, "She's been breathing on her own the whole time . . . but the doctors are worried about her brain function or something like that. They're asking me as her power of attorney if I would sign a DNR in case something happens and she has to be put back on life support."

"What are you going to do?" Brooke sat down again.

He looked at her, "I don't know, Brooke. I really don't know. What should I do?"  
Brooke stared at him, taken aback and speechless. She didn't know what to tell him.

_To Be Continued . . ._


End file.
